White House pushing immigration reform

Sen. Reid says he'll bring DREAM Act up for vote after holiday

WASHINGTON ---- The White House and congressional Democrats are
pushing to bring to a vote a bill that creates a path to legal
status for young illegal immigrants, seeking to win support from
moderate Republicans in the lame-duck session before a more
conservative GOP contingent arrives in January.

Senior Obama administration officials say Congress should take
the opportunity to pass the bill, which was written by members of
both parties, to demonstrate to Latino voters that there is
bipartisan support for practical approaches to dealing with illegal
immigration.

The proposed DREAM Act would use fines, education or military
service to allow some of the nation's 2.1 million illegal
immigrants under the age of 35 to legally remain in the
country.

Democratic strategists also see the bill as a potential litmus
test for Republican lawmakers on immigration reform well in advance
of the 2012 elections.

In the recent midterm elections, exit polls showed that Latino
voters turned out in increased numbers for Democratic Sen. Harry
Reid in Nevada after Republican opponent Sharron Angle riled the
Latino community with political ads that showed images of menacing,
tattooed Latinos.

"Every time (Republicans) talk about this issue, they drive
these voters away," said Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.

As Latino voters become a larger part of the electorate, both
parties can benefit from negotiating on immigration reforms, said
Angela Kelly, an immigration policy expert at the Center for
American Progress.

The bill "is not only good policy, it is also good politics for
both parties," Kelly said. "I am sure this bill will be important
to anyone who wants to sit in the White House in 2013."

Republicans counter that immigration reform is not the only
issue Latino voters care about.

"Hispanics will vote for Republicans independent of the
immigration issue if Republicans are delivering on what they said
they were going to do," such as focusing on health care, education,
jobs and securing the border, said Javier Ortiz, a long-time
Republican strategist.

Reid, the Senate majority leader, said Wednesday night that he
intends to bring the DREAM Act up as a stand-alone measure after
the Thanksgiving break.

While it is uncertain which body might bring the bill to a vote
first, the DREAM Act's proponents acknowledge that passing it in
the Senate is more difficult than in the House.

It's also unclear whether enough Republicans are willing to
support any immigration policy beyond stricter enforcement.

The Democrats' move comes a month after all seven Republican
members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking
for an estimate of how much it would cost for the U.S. to deport
every illegal immigrant the government encounters.

With Republicans assuming a House majority in January, GOP
members stepping into leadership positions have taken an even
harder line.

U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who is in line to take over as
chair of the House Judiciary subcommittee, has praised efforts in
14 states to draft legislation to end the practice of granting
automatic American citizenship to the children of illegal
immigrants who are born in the U.S.